Fukushima hot springs town to build geothermal plant

Hot springs concerns in Tsuchiyu, a town about 80 km northwest of Fukushima’s stricken nuclear station, plan to build a geothermal power plant as part of recovery efforts, a local group said.

The plant will have an output capacity of up to 250 kw and cost ¥300 million, Kazuya Ikeda, secretary general of the Yuyu Tsuchiyu Onsen Cooperative Union, whose 55 members include hot springs and store operators, said Tuesday. Operations at the binary plant may start as early as December 2013, he said.

The proposed plant is part of reconstruction efforts for local hot springs following last year’s megaquake and tsunami disaster, Ikeda said. Five of the 16 hot springs operators in Tsuchiyu closed after the disaster struck, which for Fukushima mainly means the nuclear plant meltdown crisis and continued public fears.